Valve system and tracker-board.



AM gl H. PII-311GB. VALVE SYSTEM AND TRACKER BOARD.

l APPLIOATIOEYILED SEPTA, 1901. 899,469. Y

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Sept. 22,1908.

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Arrmnror num annue, 1901.'

Patented sepa 22,1908.

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'UNITD sii-Aras ParamI OFFICE,

HARRY PIERCE, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRNK A. BRIGGS,

OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI. l

VALVE SYSTEM AND TRACIQER-BOARD.

Application filed septembere, 1907. serial No. asneaRElS To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hann r PIERCE, citizen of the United States,-rcsiding at Kansas City, in the county of lyandotte and State o f Kansas, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Valve Systems and Tracker-Boards, of-which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pneumatically actuated musical instruments,` particularly of the keyboard playing type that are designed to be attached to a piano and automatically play the same under the control of specially devised music sheets mounted to ass over a tracker range., although it is to lic understood that the invention is applicable also to mechanically controlled instruments of this character in which the entire mechanism is incorporated within the case of the instrument and embodies auxiliary wippens or equivalent accessories arranged to swing the hammers against the strings. These piano players as first constructed were mechanical in tone as well as in name, for the reason that' no means were provided for properly bringing out the theme or melody of the composition being rendered, and consequently they `could be readily distinguished, even by those who were not trained or cultured musicians, from a manually operated instrument, by their lack ottone color or capability of accent-ing any one or more notes at the desired or predetermined intervals to properly emphasize thel theme; and

,35 this was a fault that hindered the more universal recognition of the musical value of the automatic piano players, notwithstanding the expression appliances that were employed and the high degree of technique that the mechanical element-s made possible. To overcome this deficiency, it has heretofore been proposed to divide the vacuum chest into two grand divisions, controlling the treble and bass clefs respectively, and by cutting in either edge of the perforated music sheet allow air to enter a small hole in either side of the tracker range orboard governed by such cuttings, and thereby create a greater suction upon that particular side of the instrumentl so asto accent the particular note, which happens to register with the tracker board at that instant. It was thus possible to emphasize two notes at the same time, there being two compartments in each row of pneumatics in the vacuum chest; but

it was not possible, by this construction, to single out one note above others on the same side of the center division line on the tracker board, should two or more perforations strike the tracker board at the same time on the same side of thc division point. In other words, if two or more holes were to register with the tracker board at the same time on the same side, these two or more notes would be accented. In order to overcome this, but at the risk of endangering the rythmic ettect, it has been proposed' to cut the theme or accented notes ln the roll or sheet a very small fraction behind the accompaniment cuttings.

In contradistinction to the foregoing and to obtain an artistic emphasis of the theme, my invention comprehends means for accenting any one or more notes, regardless as to how many strike the tracker board at the saine time, and the invention, more specifically considered, comprises a specially constructed vacuum chest with each diaphragm pneumatic separated from the rest, a system of valves in addition to those heretofore ordinarily used and peculiarly correlated to the same, a specially constructed tracker-board and peculiarly cutor perforated music rolls or sheets, the tracker-board and music sheet forming the subject matter of separate applications for Letters Patent. l'

'lhe invention also consists in certain constructions, arrangements, and combinations of the parts that I shall hereniafter fully de-Y scribe, and then point out the novel features and combinations thereof in the app-ended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a face view of a port-ion of a tracker board constructed in accordance with my invention; F ig. 2 is a transverse sectional View,- in the nature of a diagram, illustrating my improved valve system in the simplest embodiment thereof, it being understood that in practice, as is customary, the Valves of each vacuum chest or chamber will be banked7 in transverse rows of two or three' to a row for the sake of compactness; F ig. 3 is a. view of a portion of the perforated music sheet employed; and, Fig. t is a front View,

partaking of the nature of a longitudinal section, of the primary` and secondary valve chests or vacuum chests of the ordinary Patented sept. 22, 1908.

.double action automa-tic players, but arranged according to the principles of my nvention.

Corresponding and likeparts' are referred to in 'the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, and now more particularly toFig. 2, the letter T designates my improved tracker board or range, across which the perforated music roll or sheet M isarranged to pass; P desig# nates theprimary vacuum chest of the ordinary double act-ion pneumatic player, and S the secondary vacuum chest thereof, arranged in accordance with the principles of this invention; an( A designates the additional'or auxiliary vacuum chest which renders the theme emphasizing effects possible.

The tracker board T is provided with the usual longitudinally extending or elongated ports 1, each of which i's connected by atiexi- )le tracker or tube 2 with the respective vacuum chambers 3 in the primary vacuum chest P, the latter being provided with a vent' 4 and connected to the pipe or tube 5 leading to the suction bellows (not shown); The chamber 3 is in coi'nmunieation with a diaphragm pneumatic t5 underneath-the double action valve 7. A tube S leads from above the lower head of said valve to Athe secondary vacuum chest S underneath and in communication with its diaphragm t), adapted to actuate its valve 10.

11 designates the ordinary secondary or power pneumatic of the bellows type, designed to actuate the suspended finger or rod r2 so as to depress the key.

The foregoing parts are, as thus far described, of the usual formation. In their practical operation, whenever a port or passage 1.of the tracker board is closed by a. perforated music sheet, a partial vacuum exists in the tube 2 created through the vent 4, and the suction is transmitted through the chamber 3, and tube or tracker S to the diaphragm 9. A partial vacuum also exists in the chamber 9 above the diaphragm pneumatic 9. This creates equalization of air pressure above and below the respective pneumatics 9 and 6 and causes the valve 10 to be so held as to admit'atmospheric air into the secondary or power neumatic 11, the valve 7 closing the chest against the admission of atmospheric air. l

Whenever the perforated music sheet M opens the passage 1, it. destroys the equalization, causing the valve 7 to rise and admit atmospheric air into the chest P and to the tube 8. Air rushing `into said tube will manifestlv raisethe valve 10, closing the upper valve and opening the lower valve, thereby causingithe secondary or power pneumatic 11 to close, air` being emptied through the chamber 9, the pipe 17 con nected at one end thereto, the chamber 16 and exhaust o r suction pipe 5 that is connected to the pumping bellows, this exhaust being controlled by the regulator 18. Henceor tube 2'a leadsirom each one of these passages 1, to the auxiliary vacuum chest A and con'nnunicate's with the diaphragm A13 underneath the double valve 14, governing chambers 15 and 16 that are designed for communication with chamber 9a by means of the iie 17. the well l'rnown type designed to control the tension by means of the valve 19.

In describing the oaeration of the additional vacuum chest o my invent-ion in connection with the other parts, it is to be understood that the music sheet to be employed is especially formed with a set of aceenting openings y (see F ig. 3) in addition to the ordinary cuttings m. So long as the passages 1 and 1a in the tracker board lare closed by the perforated music sheet, there is the same partial vacuum in the channels of the chest P, as before stated, tothe diaphragm 9 in chest S; but the vacuum in the chamber 9a is created through ipe 17 to chest A, through chamber or cliannel 16, through the regulator 18 and the passage 20, and through the pipe 5 to the pumping bellows. The vacuum between the regulator 1S designates a regulator of- 1S and chamber 9a is subdued and controlled by the slide valve 19. tion or expression between chamber 9 through pipe 17 and chamber 16 through the regulator. There is strong suction or high tension through the channels of the chest P from the diaphragm 9 and through the pipe 5 from the chamber 15. The strong exhaust in 'channel 3 in the chest P causes the air under the diaphragm 6 from `the tube 2 to hold the valve in the chamber 3a firmly to its seat., to cause the air under the diaphra. m 9 to lift the valve 10 for soft expression gby low tension, when the secondary or power pneumatic 11V and valve 10 are o n soft expression.

Whenever' the perforation in the music sheet o ens a passage 16L in the tracker board, atmosp ieric pressure rushes through the tube 2, destroying the e ualization under 4the diaphragm 13, lifting tie valve 14, closing the chamber 16, and opening chamber 15, thereby creating a strong suction through the pipe 17 to the chamber 9".

'lhis gives weak sucf ilo This gives said chamberQf the same suction as under the diaphragm 9. lVhenever, how ever, this same perforation in the music sheety extends over a passage 1 in the tracker board, as well as a passage 1a atmospheric pressure will rush through the tube 2 into the chest P, destroying'equalization under thel diaphragm (i, raising the valve 7, and thereby. admitting atmospheric pressure through the tube 8 so as to destroy the exhaust under the diaphragm 9. rThe latter being then raised', lifts the valve 10, and effects the closing of the pneumatic 11 with added force, the note thereby being ac cented.

Fig. 4 illustrates a longitudinal sectional view of the ordinary primary and secondary vacuum or valve chests of an ordinary double action player. Ity is to be understood that the vacuum isordinarily created in the pipe or channel 5 from the pumping bellows ,through each end of the sections or grand divisions of the valve chesty for the bass and treble portions, to the middle division l) ordinarily employed. ln order to .separate each individual diaphragm 9 for action in connection with my improved auxiliary -vacuum chest A above described, the said diaphragms 9 are separated from each other by the divisions D', the pi )es lleading into the valve chest S above tlie respective diaphragms 9, as indicated at 17".

Iiaving'thus described the invent-ion, what is claimed as new is:

1. In combination, a tracker board formed with two sets of air passages; a prima-ry valve chest connected to one set of passages, power pneumatica a secondary valve chestl operatively connected to said pneumatics and having connection with thel primary valve chest, an auxiliary valve chestl having air passage connection with the secondary valve. chest, means for exhausting air from the Aauxiliary valve chest and from the connection between the same and the secondary valve chest', tension regulators included in the air exhausting means, the auxiliary valve chesty being provided with air passages leading directly from its connection with the secondary valve chest to the air exhausting means around the tension regulators, valves in said auxiliary lvalve chest, said valves normally closing said last named passages and opening the passage from the connection between said valve chest and the secondary valve chesty to the tension regulators, and a. connection between said auxiliary valve chest and the other set of passages in the tracker board, arranged upon the opening of any passage of said set to shift the valve so as to admitl the air direct-ly from the secondary valve chest to the air exhausting means.

f2. The combination of a tracker formed with two air passages for each note, of power pneumatics, primary and secondary 'valve mechanisms connected to each other and the y latter to the power pneumatics, the primary valve mechanism being connected to one set of said passages, an auxiliary valve chest connected to said other set of passages and to the secondary valve mechanism, means for normally exhausting the air from the secondary lvalve mechanism under regulated tension through the auxiliary valve chest, and means for exhausting the air from said secondary valve chest through the auxiliary 'alve chest unregulated and direct upon the opening of the passages of both simultaneously.

3. The combination with a. tracker board formed with two sets of' air passages, the passages of one set being elongated transversely to the travel ot the sheet and the )assages of' the other set being elongated longitudinally of the travel oi" the sheet. and in alinement with the ends of the corresponding passages of' the 'lirst mentioned set," of power pncumatics, primary and secondary valve mechanism connected to the set of transversely elongated passages, an auxiliary valve chest connected to said other set of passa-ges and to the secondary valve mechanism under regulated tension through the auxiliary valve chest, and means for exhaustiing air from said secondary valve chest through the auxiliary valve chestunregulated and direct upon the opening of the passages of both sets simultaneously.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY PTERCE. Witnesses:

J. P. DENNY, E. L. FISCHER. 

